Arrest warrant issued against Shakib Al Hasan in cheque dishonour case
IFIC Bank filed the case on 15 December
Highlights:
- Shakib Al Hasan Agro Farm took Tk2.5cr in loans from IFIC Bank in 2017
- The company owes Tk4.14cr, including interest and principal, to the bank
- Shakib and three officials of Shakib Al Hasan Agro Farm accused
- Arrest warrant against the farm's MD Gazi Shahagir Hossain issued as well
- IFIC Bank issued a legal notice in October last year
A Dhaka court has issued an arrest warrant against national cricketer and former Awami League MP Shakib Al Hasan, who is currently living abroad, in a case involving the bounced cheques of Tk4.14 crore.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman passed the order today (19 January) after Shakib, who serves as the chairman of Shakib Al Hasan Agro Farm Limited, failed to appear before the court, according to media reports.
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An arrest warrant against the farm's Managing Director Gazi Shahagir Hossain was issued as he failed to appear before the court as well.
The court also set 24 March for submitting a report on the execution of today's order, court clerk Atikur Rahman told BSS.
On 15 December last year, IFIC Bank Relationship Officer Shahibur Rahaman filed the case at a Dhaka court on behalf of the bank against the famous cricketer-turned-businessman and three other officials of his company.
After recording the case and the plaintiff's statement that day, the court summoned Shakib, Sahagir, and the agro farm's Directors Imdadul Haque and Malaika Begum to appear before it today.
Atikur said Imdadul surrendered before the court today and pleaded for bail, which the court granted after a hearing. It also sought a report on the death of Malaika, as the concerned lawyer informed the court that she had already died.
The court ordered the issuance of arrest warrants against Shakib and Shahagir after the plaintiff's side applied in light of their absence, reports Prothom Alo.
According to case details, the agro farm took a loan of Tk1 crore as working capital and Tk1.5 crore as a term loan from the IFIC Bank's Banani branch in 2017.
Later, due to the company's failure to repay the working capital loan on time, the bank converted it into a term loan.
After issuing several notices for repayment, the company provided two cheques totalling Tk4.14 crore, including interest and principal, to the bank on 4 September last year. However, the cheques bounced due to insufficient funds in the relevant account.
Later in October, IFIC Bank issued a legal notice to Shakib Al Hasan Agro Farm, demanding repayment of the outstanding loan, in line with the Negotiable Instruments Act.
In it, the bank said the company must repay the money within 30 working days of receiving the notice and failure to do so would lead to legal action by the bank against Shakib's company.
Shakib, the former captain of the Bangladesh national cricket team who became the Magura-2 MP through the last national election, established a crab farm named Shakib Al Hasan Agro Farm in the Datinakhali area of Shyamnagar, Satkhira in 2016.
The company has reportedly been inactive since 2021.
